After the first round returns on NBA All Star ballots, Yao Ming was comfortably on his way to securing his 9th All Star selection, even though he officially retired last summer.
Many fans are concerned, but some are in favor of Yao playing in the game.
“Despite not even being on a roster this year, his contribution to the international development of the game really gives him a leg up,” said ESPN analyst, Skip Bayless as he jumped on his desk and screamed like a monkey.
NBA writers have begun to wonder whether Chinese fans even know that Yao retired. “It’s quite possible that with the censorship that exists in China, many fans still believe that Yao is still playing,” said writer Marc Stein. “It’s unfortunate because there are at least tens of players more deserving than Yao this year.
”
Surprisingly, the players with the next highest number of votes are Yi Jianlian, Wang Zhi Zhi, and Kobe Blyant.
